The Persephone Factor
by Angel of the woods
Summary: In the Castle beyond the Goblin City something was found. In the Aboveground something was lost. Eventual J/S


Chapter 1 Revelations

With a grunt the brown haired twenty-four-year-old set the last of the boxes, that she was moving into her new apartment, down. Wiping the sweat off her brow she looked around her new apartment with emerald green eyes that, in the right light, seemed to glow. Just then a ten-year-old boy bounced into the apartment with their parents following close behind at a more sedate pace.

"Sarah!" the little boy cried throwing himself at the young woman who caught him in a hug. "Sarah! Did you hear? Mom and Dad are taking me camping!"

"That's great Toby!" Sarah Williams exclaimed grinning. "I hope you guys have fun."

"I wish you could come with us," Toby moaned in regret not noticing Sarah stiffen in fright.

"Oh come on Toby you know that Sarah is starting her job in a week and she can't come with us to Wisconsin," Robert Williams said as he and his wife, Karen, navigated around the boxes that were stacked haphazardly around the room.

"Do you want us to help you unpack honey?" Karen asked smiling at her stepdaughter.

"No I'll be fine Mom," Sarah replied grinning at her stepmother. "Now go! You guys need to get packed. Go! I'll be fine. I promise."

Since that night ten years ago Sarah and Karen had gotten along better than her father had hoped even becoming friends. They still fought like cats but that was to be expected of a mother/daughter relationship.

"Fine we know when we're not wanted," Robert said in mock anger herding his laughing wife and son toward the door. "But should you need us…"

"I'll call," Sarah said grinning at her father. Waving goodbye her family left her alone. Once her family had driven off toward their house Sarah just stood in the middle of the room for a minute.

"Hoggle, Ludo, Sir Diddymus, I need you!" Sarah called to the empty room. Seconds later her friends from the Underground appeared in her apartment. Grinning Sarah embraced them before asking for their help in unpacking and promising to order food for them all. Happily they set to work trying to figure out where to put all of Sarah's treasures and belongings.

***********

Jareth, the Goblin King, sat lounging on his throne rubbing his temples to ward off the headache that was forming as noisy goblins ran around the throne room.

"Your Majesty!" a man dressed in oversized robes called as he raced into the throne room a heavy tome clutched under his arm and nearly tripping over a goblin near the throne room door in his haste. "Your Majesty! I found something that will interest you!"

Jareth merely raised an eyebrow at the man who practically tripped over himself approaching the throne.

"Is that so Stanford?" Jareth queried of the historian who nodded vigorously.

"It concerns the Labyrinth's Champion," Stanford explained to his king.

"Out!" Jareth bellowed to the room at large rising from his throne and grabbing Stanford by his collar as the historian made to leave the throne room with all the goblins. "Not you Stanford. You're staying here and explaining what this information about the Labyrinth's Champion is."

Conjuring a crystal with a flick of his wrist Jareth tossed it casually to the floor where it transformed into a podium that Stanford gratefully set the tome on before flipping to a section of the tome. Stanford started reading the section and by the end Jareth was grinning like a mad man. Well, mad Fae.

"I have a Champion I need to bring home," Jareth said still grinning. "And copy that passage out for me will you?"

Stanford nodded with a smile on his face.

***********

"Thanks guys," Sarah said as her friends left through her mirror. "If I need you I'll call." "Farewell fair Lady," Sir Diddymus said as he stepped through the mirror back to the Underground.

"Bye Sawah," Ludo said ducking through the mirror.

"Stay safe Sarah," Hoggle said limping toward the mirror.

"I will Hoggle," Sarah said giving Hoggle a hug before he could limp through to the Underground. "Oh and Hoggle stay away from the Goblin King. I don't want anything to happen to you guys."

With a nod Hoggle stepped through the mirror. The mirror shimmered once then became still. With a tired yawn Sarah got ready for bed.

***********

The next morning Sarah woke up from the strangest dream.

*It had all been dark and she couldn't see a thing at all but could feel someone standing right behind her. Suddenly the lights came up and Sarah, blinking in the sudden light, saw that she was in the Castle beyond the Goblin City.

"I'm coming for you my love," a masculine voiced whispered in her ear sending shivers up and down her spine.

Turning Sarah couldn't see any one standing behind her.*

With a groan Sarah got up and headed for the shower grabbing a t-shirt and a pair of jeans from her closet as she passed. Getting into the shower Sarah let the water run over her body before wetting her hair. Several seconds later Sarah stepped out of the shower and as she was drying off heard the unmistakable pop of a light bulb die.

"Oh damn," Sarah muttered as she took in the shower light bulb that had just died. Struggling into her clothes Sarah staggered out of the bathroom to find a screwdriver and a light bulb.

"Damn you Jareth," Sarah muttered as she balanced precariously on the chair's arms, that she had dragged into the bathroom, as she worked with the screwdriver to get the light fixture off the ceiling.

"Now why are you cursing me?" a familiar voice asked from directly behind her.

With a shriek Sarah fell off the arms of the chair and into the arms of a bemused Goblin King.

"Well that wasn't the response that I was going for but it'll do," he said smirking at the woman who lay frozen in his arms.

"Why are you here?" Sarah whispered as her heart thundered a hundred miles an hour because of their close proximity and the fright she just received. "You have no-"

"Actually I do dear Sarah," Jareth said smirking down at Sarah who was still in his arms. Suddenly becoming aware of the fact that he was still holding her rather closely Sarah blushed as she squirmed out of his arms before standing in front of him with her arms crossed over her chest in defiance.

"What do you mean?" Sarah snapped.

"Remember that peach Hoghead gave you?" Jareth asked still smirking.

"How could I not?" Sarah snapped irritably. "That was almost a nightmare for me. And his name is Hoggle!"

Jareth quirked an eyebrow at her as his eyes roamed her curvaceous body.

"It was a dream for me," Jareth whispered finally meeting her eyes and licking his lips.

"I don't understand," Sarah growled her eyes flashing in irritation.

"There is a rule that if a runner eats food given to them by the king and they beat the Labyrinth then they have to return to the Underground forever," Jareth said as he walked toward Sarah.

"Only one problem," Sarah said smirking. "Hoggle gave me that peach."

"Yes," Jareth agreed. "But didn't Hogsbreath say something to you?"

Sarah thought back to when she was running the Labyrinth.

**Flashback**

"Hoggle! Oh, Hoggle, are you all right?" Sarah asked as she helped him to sit up.

"I'm not asking to be forgiven I ain't ashamed of myself," Hoggle muttered as he sat up. "Jareth made me give ya that peach. I don't care what ya think, I told ya I was a coward. I ain't interested in being friends."

Sarah smiled at Hoggle gently.

"I forgive you Hoggle," she said quietly.

**End Flashback**

Jareth watched as Sarah's face paled and chuckled.

"No," Sarah whispered. "That's not true!"

"Oh but it is dear Sarah," he said grinning as he gently took her hand. "Now it is time to go home."

"But what about my job?" Sarah asked as she pulled her hand from his grasp. "My apartment? My family?" She looked so sad that Jareth pulled her into his arms and silently held her.

"They won't remember you," Jareth said as he stroked her dark, brown hair soothingly. "Except for the lad. You two can talk whenever you want."

Sarah sniffled as she sadly accepted Jareth's embrace knowing that he would be the only one to offer her any comfort in the days to come.

"Come we must go," Jareth said moments later.

"What about my stuff?" Sarah asked pulling away from Jareth. "And how the hell am I going to contact T-"

Suddenly Jareth pulled her to him and covered her mouth with his silencing her instantly. "You ask to many questions," Jareth said after breaking the kiss bemused at the expression on Sarah's face. "But we must be going now."

Sarah nodded as she cast one last look around her apartment before turning to Jareth and accepting his hand.


End file.
